On the eve of the online INDIA bloc meeting Saturday, allies Congress and Communist Party of India (Marxist) clashed over Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi’s remarks that he is “fighting the CPI(M) ideologically”.
At a public meeting in Kerala’s Kottayam, Gandhi said: “I fight the RSS and Communist Party of India (Marxist) ideologically and I fight them in the realm of ideas… My biggest complaint with them is that they don’t have feelings for people. You can give whatever speeches, if you do not have feelings for people, you are not ready to connect and hug people, you will not be a leader.”
The CPI(M) said that Gandhi’s statements were absurd. “In his absurd and condemnable comment equating the RSS and the CPI(M), Rahul Gandhi forgets who is fighting the RSS in Kerala- the CPI(M), which has lost countless dedicated workers in resisting saffron terror. Meanwhile, in Kerala, the Congress and the RSS continue to echo each other in expressing anti-communist sentiments. As soon as he steps into Kerala, Rahul Gandhi speaks that language too,” said the Left party in a statement.
Saturday’s INDIA block meeting, meanwhile, will see the participation of the TMC which had initially decided to skip it. The TMC has said its MP Abhishek Banerjee will join the online meeting.
The AAP is not attending the meeting, maintaining that it is no longer part of an alliance formed ahead of last year’s general elections against the BJP.
In a statement on Friday, AAP Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Singh said: “The INDIA alliance coalition was formed for the Lok Sabha elections. Post that, we contested alone in the Haryana and Delhi, as well as the Punjab bypolls. We are now contesting alone in the upcoming Bihar elections as well. The AAP is not part of the INDIA alliance. However, we will oppose the government whenever we feel it is wrong.”
